TExES 235 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Number: 240 on a 100-300 Scale

Every candidate preparing for TExES Mathematics 7-12 (235) eventually asks the same blunt question: what score do I actually need? The answer is precise. TEA sets the passing score at 240 on a scale that runs from 100 to 300. There's no separate cut score for different testing windows and no curve that changes year to year based on how a particular cohort performs. It's a fixed target, and it applies the same way whether you test in January or in the middle of summer.

That said, 240 is not a percentage. It's a scaled score derived from a raw count of correct answers on scored items, and the conversion between raw and scaled points is not published question-by-question. This matters because candidates sometimes assume "240 out of 300" means they need to get roughly 80% of questions right. That assumption isn't reliable, and treating it as gospel can lead to either overconfidence or unnecessary panic during your prep.

How Your Raw Answers Become a Scaled Score

The 100 selected-response questions you see on screen are not all scored. Some are unscored field-test items that TEA and Pearson use to evaluate future test forms. You cannot identify which questions are field-test items while you're testing - they look identical to scored questions and are mixed throughout the exam. Practically, this means you should treat every single question as if it counts, because you have no way to skip effort on the ones that don't.

Once your test session ends, only the scored items feed into your raw score. That raw score is then converted to the 100-300 scale, and 240 is the line between pass and not-pass. Because the exact conversion table isn't public, the safest mental model is this: aim to answer confidently and correctly across every domain rather than trying to "bank" points in one area and coast in another. A candidate who is strong in Domain II but weak everywhere else is taking on more risk than the raw percentages might suggest, because field-test items can dilute the number of scored questions in any single content area on a given form.

Why Domain II Decides Whether You Hit 240

If you want to understand your path to 240, you have to understand the domain structure, because the six domains are not weighted evenly. Here's the breakdown:

Domain II, Patterns and Algebra, is worth 33% - roughly a third of the entire exam and by far the largest single domain. That weight comes from a wide range of content: sequences and series and mathematical induction, attributes of functions and relations, linear and quadratic functions, polynomial, rational, radical, absolute value and piecewise functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric and circular functions, and differential and integral calculus. If you're strong in every other domain but shaky on this list, 240 becomes a much harder target to hit, simply because of how much of the exam draws from this single area.

The other domains still matter for reaching 240 - you can't ignore Geometry and Measurement at 19% or the two 14% domains, Number Concepts and Probability and Statistics - but the math is straightforward: a candidate who systematically under-prepares Domain II is leaving a third of the exam's scoring weight underdeveloped. For a full breakdown of every competency inside all six domains, see the TExES 235 Exam Domains 2026 guide, which maps each domain to its specific competencies.

What "Passing" Actually Feels Like on Test Day

Because TExES 235 is computer-administered at Pearson VUE test centers, the experience of chasing 240 is shaped by logistics as much as content knowledge. A few specifics that directly affect your ability to perform at your best:

• You must bring your own graphing calculator. TExES 235 is one of only three TExES exams with this requirement. Approved models are limited to the TI-73, TI-83, TI-84, and the Nspire handheld fitted with a TI-84 keypad - and the Nspire keypad cannot be removed during the exam. Arriving with an unapproved calculator, or the wrong keypad configuration, can cost you valuable testing time or worse.
• A Definitions and Formulas page is provided on screen. You don't need to memorize every formula, but you do need to know how to locate and apply the right one quickly, because fumbling through it during a timed exam eats into your 4 hours 45 minutes of testing time.
• Every question type is selected-response. There's no constructed-response or written component, which means your prep should emphasize recognizing correct reasoning among distractors, not essay-style explanation.

For a broader sense of how these logistics compare to the overall difficulty of the exam, the How Hard Is the TExES 235 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down where most candidates lose points.

Retake Rules If You Miss 240

Not everyone clears 240 on the first try, and that's worth planning for rather than fearing. TEA statewide data for the 2024-2025 program year showed a 61% first-attempt pass rate and a 67% best-attempt pass rate (N=1,024) - meaning a meaningful share of candidates who didn't pass initially did pass on a later attempt. If you don't hit 240:

• You must wait a minimum of 30 days before retesting.
• You're allowed five total attempts before you need a TEA test-limit waiver to try again.
• Your registration stays valid for 170 days, so don't register far in advance of when you'll actually be ready.
• Withdrawing from a scheduled appointment refunds the $116 fee minus a $25 processing charge.

Scores post at 10:00 p.m. Central on the published score report date, so you'll know exactly when to check rather than refreshing a portal at random. If your score report shows you missed 240 by a narrow margin, that's valuable diagnostic information - it usually means your gaps are concentrated in one or two domains rather than spread evenly across the exam. For a deeper look at how the numbers break down across attempts, see TExES 235 Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.

Closing the Gap Between Your Score and 240

Because Domain II carries a third of the exam's weight, the most efficient way to move a borderline score above 240 is usually to shore up Patterns and Algebra first, then reinforce Geometry and Measurement, before spending equal time on the smaller domains. This isn't generic advice - it's a direct consequence of how TExES 235 is weighted.

If you want a structured week-by-week plan built around this exact domain hierarchy, the TExES 235 Study Guide 2026 walks through a complete first-attempt strategy. And if you're still deciding whether to sit for this exam at all, Is the TExES 235 Certification Worth It? covers the broader career context, while TExES 235 Requirements 2026 explains eligibility before you register.

Regardless of where your gaps sit, the fastest way to know whether you're tracking toward 240 is to answer questions under real exam conditions. Running full-length timed sets on our practice test platform gives you a scaled-feeling estimate of readiness before you commit to a Pearson VUE appointment, and repeating that process closer to your test date on the same practice site helps confirm the gap has actually closed.

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